Playing the Upset Card.
Monday December 30, 2013

Here's the sixteenth in the series of excellent blogs by Lex covering the adjectives on the 20 Moodscope cards. Please don't forget we'd love you to add any ideas, tips, insights or advice you may have that you'd like to share with other Moodscope members that might be of help. Many thanks. Caroline.

Today it's the turn of the 'Upset' card. Moodscope defines this as: 'feeling sad and troubled about things'.

There's deep stuff to be said about being upset. But sometimes I'm just a shallow guy. To me, 'Upset' is an anagram of 'Setup'...and that's what life feels like sometimes – a setup. And that upsets me!

I think this is technically called, 'Paranoia' but everybody I've met is paranoid!

We wouldn't feel 'sad and troubled about things' if they didn't feel personal to us – like something was working against us – like we'd been set up. This, again, is a sign, I believe, of the intelligence and imagination sitting at the core of the depressed person. We're sad because we care. We care because we intelligently think about what matters. We have emotional intelligence. But sometimes we try too hard to push open a door that opens the other way. Our emotional intelligence needs fresh direction to escape the trap, the setup.

Trouble is, being 'troubled' isn't usually the best state to be in to make any positive difference. Action is required. If the journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step, then the journey out of the valley of sadness – where we were setup and ambushed – begins with a single positive step. This will start the process of righting us – balancing us – returning us to equilibrium.

One step at a time. One day at a time. One thought at a time. You know what? I believe we can change our world (and theirs too – whoever they may be) one thought at a time. Now there's a thought!

So if there was just one thing you could do today to take you higher – out of the valley of sadness where there is so much troubled thinking – what would that one thing be?

Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment on our Blogspot:

Comments

Julia Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 8:59am

Great Lex. Thank you.The third paragraph made me laugh. You are so right about intelligence and imagination being at the core of depression, particularly I would say, imagination.

The Entertrainer Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 9:50am

I wonder if "Dark Imaginations" could be channelled into creative writing?

Elizabeth Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 10:25am

I haven´t tried, but I cannot imagine any other reason for China Mieville writing Perdido Street Station (and other "new weird" authors and books). There is something very dark and uncanny inside.

Exidia Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 10:56am

I've just discovered the concept of "letting go". Think of all those that "done you wrong", list them. Write down exactly how they did it, yes I know, you haven't got all day! Write down which bit of you they really got to - and then try to realise what your response to them was. I spent a long time doing this until the penny dropped - that the answer lay WITHIN ME. Only I could control how I felt. Was I going to let those b******s decide how I was every day? No of course not! So I started, bit by bit not to feel miserable as my default position. I'm now 1 month in to this technique, and I've coped with Christmas with one of the sources of the problem, and a major row with my husband, and I'm still ok. Not brilliant, but not down in the depths either. Technique comes from Dierdre Bounds book Fulfilled. I recommend it.

Sheila France Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 12:10pm

Wipe the slate clean - start again

Anonymous Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 1:08pm

This is the card I find the most...troubling! "upset" is a word my mom used to use. Sometimes if I am emotional it might be because I am sad or that a circumstance needs my attention because it is troubling. I usually rank this one according to simply how burdened I am by negative emotion(s).
EmJae

Knownasbootsincollege Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 4:58pm

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The elephant journey I will incorporate into my prayers.

Anonymous Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 6:35pm

Yes, one day at a time, that is all we have and if that is too long then one minute at a time. The day takes care of itself.

Julia Mon, Dec 30th 2013 @ 8:36pm

I am sure they could. But how to start?

Bob Krider Tue, Dec 31st 2013 @ 12:46am

I would recommend books about by Al Siebert. A point that is made is that getting upset is potentially good - it depends on what you do with it. If you get upset and just stay upset you're a victim. If I do nothing I just get numb - frozen - nowhere. When something is wrong I need to act, but act in ways that are constructive. I might be absolutely wrong in my thinking, but even then I should get upset, assertively and with an open mind.

Lostinspace Tue, Dec 31st 2013 @ 3:14am

Sad and troubled - I always see this as an overview of my life and although I do not see my self as a victim, I mostly understand this has happened because I have at the time not understood what was going on in my own life. I cannot work out what to do about it without hurting others. The thing about being depressed is that it often affects other people, and in my case I want to protect them from it and hide it. Any action I take to remedy this will upset or shock others who would really mostly prefer that the status quo be maintained. I really don't have the strength to rock the boat to this extent so I always score high on "sad and upset". I just think I must try harder to ignore the negative aspects of my life and concentrate on the "good' stuff. It's not so bad after all and when I very rarely go up on the roof and look at the stars in the sky I realise that really it is not so important after all and I am just a speck in the Universe. So much deliberation and sadness for what?

The Entertrainer Tue, Dec 31st 2013 @ 6:40am

I love the name you use on Moodscope: Lostinspace. I find solace in the stars too. This is why I often use NASA Nebulae images in my photographic collages. You, my dear Lostinspace, are made of stardust... but you have a gift that so much of the Universe doesn't have - a conscious consciousness!

I understand that with your rich imagination, this gift can appear a curse at times, but it was given in the spirit of a gift. It is what we do with it that determines its value. So, with you, I am going to lift my eyes to the stars today - and during daylight - to our own star (even if not looking at it directly of course!) I will lift my eyes, breathe in deeply, and then, on my outbreath say "thank you" for something that captures my imagination in a good way... that leaf, that dog chasing a ball in the park, that smile from a pensioner I pass, the chatty postmaster with his dry sense of humour... (I think I just ran out of breath!) Today, I will choose to be conscious of a few good things. What happens next may well be an adventure...

The Entertrainer Tue, Dec 31st 2013 @ 6:43am

With the right writing tools, dear Julia... for some, a pencil... a sharp one for your wit. And gorgeous paper... then let your dark imagination flow but never sign it! This is for your eyes only (unless of course it turns into a brilliant novel - in which case, send it to me and we'll get you published!!!)

Julia Tue, Dec 31st 2013 @ 9:09am

Ah! I may well try. See today's blog by the enigmatic Les. You will see that I do take up your suggestions Lex!

Julia Tue, Dec 31st 2013 @ 9:12am

You couldn't have expressed how I feel, better, Lostinspace. However I don't score high on the upset card. Don't ask me why. I don't feel a victim either. Oh so much to say.

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